Central Ohioans are joining a national protest against a rating that could keep young people
from seeing the upcoming documentary
Bully.

More than 300,000 people have signed a petition started on Change.org after the Motion Picture
Association of America ruled by one vote that
Bully would receive an R rating — requiring that moviegoers younger than 17 have an
accompanying parent or guardian — because of its profanity.

“If it’s just six swearwords, then the film definitely should be opened up for that younger age
bracket,” said Jim Bisenius, a Westerville resident and former therapist who founded and leads
Bully-Proofing Youth.

He trains students how to respond to social, physical and online bullying.

“For 13-year-olds and up,
Bully seems like an important film to see,” Bisenius said. “If it’s truly an
empathy-building documentary, the positives would outweigh the negatives.

“Whether we’re aware of it or not, kids live with bullying — and profanity — every day.”

More than 9,600 Ohioans — including more than 870 from the Columbus area, such as a woman who
tweeted her support after seeing an advance screening in Los Angeles — have signed the petition for
the film, scheduled for a limited release on March 30 in New York.

Chloe Kowal, a seventh-grader at Phoenix Middle School in Worthington who has been bullied,
wants the rating changed to allow youngsters to see
Bully.

“I think it’s a better idea than leaving it rated R because the kids bullying others need to see
it,” said Chloe, 12. “And kids being bullied need to see it to know there’s somebody out there
trying to do something.”

She learned of the protest — as did siblings Zach, 17; and Cricket, 13 — from mother Marya
Kowal, a petition signer.

“All three have suffered bullying,” Kowal said. “Children tend to focus on their own
experiences, so, if they see something on-screen, they can empathize better with it than school
lectures.”

Jeff Frank, of the Drexel Theatre in Bexley, has expressed interest in booking the documentary
when it is made available — perhaps in April or May — for central Ohio theaters.

The petition to make the film more accessible to younger audiences was launched by Katy Butler,
a 17-year-old high-school junior in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The openly gay student has experienced severe bullying.

“The film is amazing and powerful, with a great message,” Butler said last week by phone.

She saw
Bully after launching her petition.

“It’s really important for the kids being bullied to see it so they can see they’re not alone
and, if we all stand up together, we can make a difference. It’s also important for bullies to see
the movie without having teachers or parents yelling at them.”

Columbus resident Bill LaFayette, 54, signed the petition out of concern for his stepgrandson, a
13-year-old who has been bullied.

“This is a film that younger people need to see because they’re the ones who suffer from
bullying,” LaFayette said. “Also, I was bullied unmercifully in schools, from the age of 6 well
into my high-school years.”

The petition has become one of the most successful on Change.org, where people are encouraged to
start such efforts.

Founded in 2007, the website opened to petitions in late 2010.

“This is definitely one of the most powerful petitions we’ve seen, and much of it comes from
Katy being bullied herself,” said Michael Jones, deputy campaign director of Change.org.

What she began has shown signs of a movement, with well-known names in entertainment, sports,
fashion, business and politics advocating a change in the
Bully rating.

Those who have raised their voices in support include actors Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep;
quarterback Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints; singer Justin Bieber, through Twitter; and Ellen
DeGeneres, through her syndicated talk show.

Two other TV talkers, Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa, recently co-hosted a screening.

More than 20 members of Congress have issued a bipartisan letter to the MPAA supporting the
petition and urging former Sen. Chris Dodd, chairman of the MPAA, to overturn the ruling.

Late last week, producer Harvey Weinstein sparred with Dodd over
Bully — suggesting that it would be released by the Weinstein Co. without a rating.